The Best Thing That's Ever Been Mine
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: Sweet snippets of moments between Eli and Clare. How they their relationship has grown, how they have changed each other for the better and how they fell in love. Songfic to 'Mine' by Taylor Swift.


**More Eclare from me! I don't think I've ever written so much about a couple in such a short amount a time XD So here's another! I heard the song 'Mine' by Taylor Swift and thought it was the perfect song for Eli and Clare, especially the line "You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter." The only part annoying me is the line about college in the beginning since neither Eli nor Clare are in college, so just ignore that line :P This isn't really a straight forward story since it was hard to do that with this song, it's more like little snippets of Eclare moments. Here's **_**The Best Thing That's Ever Been Mine**_**. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi, Twilight or the song _Mine_.**

"Good morning," said a familiar voice in Clare's ear, making her jump. Eli smirked, taking the seat across from her at the picnic table. Eli was the new kid at Degrassi. At first, Clare found him a bit annoying with his arrogant attitude and cocky smirk. But after Ms. Dawes had made them English partners, Clare and Eli had started to become friends.

"Eli, don't scare me like that," she said, lightly smacking him on the arm.

"But I like watching you jump," he said, looking at her with that trademark smirk on his face. Clare rolled her eyes, dog earring the page of her book and closing it.

"So how do you like Degrassi so far?" Clare asked, leaning toward Eli a bit.

"It's nice," Eli said with a shrug.

"Where did you live before here?" Clare asked.

"A small town about an hour away," Eli said, "And I worked part time waiting tables at a place like the dot. I don't really miss it though. You know small towns. Everyone knows everyone else's business. I was starting to feel like I was trapped in a box."

_Oh oh oh oh_

_Oh oh oh oh_

_You were in college working part time waiting tables_

_Left a small town, never looked back_

"And I'm starting to like it more here every day," Eli said. To Clare's surprise, Eli's hand rested on top of her's on top of the picnic table. Clare felt her heart start to race. She abruptly stood up, snatching her hand out from under Eli's.

"Um, I have to go," she said quickly, "Class." Without another word, Clare sped off, her hand still tingling from where Eli had touched it

There was no doubt that Clare had feelings for Eli but after the whole KC thing, she was wary of falling again. What was the point of falling in love if it never lasted?

_I was a flight risk with a fear of falling_

_Wondering why we bothered with love if it never last_

_I say, can you believe it?_

* * *

Eli and Clare lounged on Clare's couch, watching a movie. More specifically Twilight. Clare and begged and even pulled out the big blue eyes on him before Eli gave in and let her watch the movie.

They were lying on the couch, Eli on one side and Clare on the other, Eli occasionally annoying Clare by tickling Clare's foot until she threatened to kick him. But secretly, she liked the feeling of Eli touching her. It seemed to set off fireworks throughout her body. But she would never tell him that. That conceited smirk of his would never leave his face.

'_Cause we're lying on the couch_

_The moment I can see it_

_Yes, yes_

_I can see it now_

* * *

Eli and Clare sat by on the shore of the huge lake. They had been leaning against each other, their shoulders touching. Clare's heart was already going into overdrive being that close to Eli, so when he suddenly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, Clare nearly fainted right then and there. It was the first time that Eli had put his arm around her. Sure, they had flirted, but they hadn't really broken the touch barrier yet…until now.

_Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?_

_You put your arm around me for the first time_

"I can't believe we're doing this," Clare giggled. She and Eli had cut class to come here.

"You needed it," Eli said, squeezing her shoulder, "You looked so tense, I thought you were gonna snap like a rubber band. You needed a break Clare." It was true. Clare had been stressed out. Between her parents homework, not doing well in her writing class and the insane amount of homework that had been given, she was a bit on edge. Before Clare met Eli, she would have never even _thought _of cutting class. And now, with Eli, this is the second time she had done it.

"You're a bad influence you know," she teased, resting her head on his shoulder and staring out at the shimmering water, "You're turning me into a rebel."

"It's just cutting class Clare," Eli chuckled. Clare just stuck her tongue out at him. But secretly, she loved being with here with him, his arm wrapped tight around her shoulders.

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

* * *

"Eli," said Clare's voice over her cell phone, her voice thick with tears, "Can I stay at your place? Please?" Eli heard voices shouting in the background and knew what was going on. Clare's parents were fighting again. It had only been getting worse lately to the point that Clare kept a drawer of clothes there. Anytime the fighting became too much for her to take, she would stay the night at Eli's place wrapped in his arms (they had been dating for a few weeks now). Her parents didn't even realize she was gone for the note, even though every time she left a note on her bed saying she was staying over a friend's house. And Eli's parents were rarely home, usually on business trips. If they were, they never mind Clare staying over as long as she stayed in the guest room.

_Flash forward and we're taking on the world together_

_And there's a drawer of my things at your place_

Minutes later, the familiar black hearse pulled up in front of Clare's house. She practically ran out of the house, past her parents fighting in the living room. Just as she closed the door, she heard some glass crash onto the floor. By the time she had gotten into the hearse, Clare was sobbing. Eli wrapped his arms tight around her, letting her sob into his chest. Even from the hearse, she could still hear her parents screaming at each other.

"Drive," she said, wiping at her eyes, "Just drive." Eli did as he was told and drove away from her house. When they reached Eli's place, his parents weren't home. They had left a note saying they would be back in a few days.

Clare followed Eli upstairs to his room and went to her drawer. She grabbed a pair of pale blue pajamas and went to change in the bathroom. When she came back out, she laid down on Eli's bed, lying on her side and curling up into a ball. Eli came in a few minutes later with two cups of instant ramen.

"Hungry?" he asked. Clare shook her head. Eli set the cups of ramen down and lay down next to Clare, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him.

Her parents fighting scared her. Not just because of the screaming of breaking stuff. It was that she was watching a marriage that she had thought was perfect fall apart. It was like what had happened with her and KC. They seemed perfect for each other until the fighting became too much. That's why sometimes, when she felt she and Eli were getting to close, Clare began to pull back a bit. The fighting and falling apart had happened to her parents and her and KC, who was to say it wouldn't happen to her and Eli. And right now, being in his arms was a bit too much for her to handle.

Clare wiggled out of his grasp and sat up, her back facing him.

"Clare, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting up, "Why do you always pull away?"

"I can't," she said shaking her head, her auburn curls bouncing. Tears began to fall down her face.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered, "You see what's happening to my parents. The same thing happened to me and KC. Who's to say it won't happen to us?"

_You learn my secrets and you figure out why I'm guarded_

"It won't," Eli said, tentatively putting a hand on Clare's shoulder, "Clare I – I love you. And I promise, that won't happen to us."

_You say we'll never make my parent's mistakes_

_We got bills to pay_

_We got nothing figured out_

Clare whipped around to look at him, her blue eyes wide with surprise. She looked into Eli's green eyes and thought back to all the moments they shared together. The first time they cut class together. The second time they cut class and sat by the lake. It was the first time he had put his arm around her. Their first kiss during the _Romeo and Juliet _project. Their second kiss in the library. The Vegas Night incident. That night…when Eli almost got stabbed…that's when Clare knew she was in love with him. But she had been too scared to say anything.

_When it was hard to take, yes, yes_

_This is what I thought about_

"You what?" she whispered. Eli moved toward her and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs.

"I love you Clare Edwards," he said, smiling a genuine smile at her, "I love you."

_Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?_

_You put your arm around me for the first time_

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

Clare smiled at him and started crying again. But this time, they were tears of joy.

"I love you too Eli," she whispered. Eli grinned so wide, it was a wonder his face didn't break. He pulled Clare's face toward his and their lips met in a soft kiss.

* * *

It was nighttime and Eli and Clare were at the lake again. After almost three months of dating, they came here whenever they needed alone time. But this time, they sat on top of the hill near the lake. From there, they could see the city lights twinkling on the water.

_Do you remember all the city lights on the water?_

Eli had his back resting against a tree and Clare sitting between his legs. His arms were wrapped around her waist while her head rested on his chest. During the time they had started dating, Clare had really started to believe that what he said was true. They wouldn't make the mistakes her parents had made. Her parents were filing for a divorce. Clare would stay in the house with her mother while her father moved out to a house about forty five minutes away. But Eli had been there for her throughout the whole ordeal. He stayed on the phone with her all hours of the night whenever she needed someone to talk to and often called of texted to see how she was doing.

_You saw me start to believe for the first time_

"You really are making me a rebel," Clare murmured, "I've never snuck out of the house before." Clare had called Eli earlier after her parents had a particularly bad fight that ended in her mother throwing their wedding picture out the window. Minutes after their call, Eli was under Clare's window, throwing pebbles against it to get her attention. She went downstairs, sneaking past her fighting parents, to meet him and he took her here.

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Oh oh oh oh_

* * *

Thank God his parents were home tonight. It was 2:30 am and they were arguing about something, Eli and Clare. They didn't even remember what it was about. All they knew was that the next minute they were in each other's faces, screaming. Everything they had worked so hard to build up to was slipping away through their fingers.

_And I remember that fight, 2:30 am_

'_Cause everything was slipping right out of our hands_

"I thought you loved me!" Clare shouted. Before Eli could respond, Clare ran downstairs, out the house and onto the street, tears streaming down her face. She collapsed under a street light, falling to her knees and sobbing.

She heard footsteps behind her and Eli's hands on her shoulders.

_I ran out crying and you followed me out into the street_

"Don't touch me!" she shouted.

"Clare!" Eli said sternly. He grabbed her shoulders and stood her up so that they were face to face. Clare braced herself for what she knew was coming. It had happened to her and KC and her parents. Eli was going to break up with her.

_Braced myself for the goodbye_

'_Cause that's all I've ever known_

"Clare, I _do _love you," Eli said, his voice soft and tender. Clare's eyes went wide with shock.

"I'll never leave you alone," he whispered, "I promised you that we wouldn't end up like your parents. I refuse to let that happen." Clare trembled in his arms, not sure of what to say.

"Eli," she whispered.

"I remember when we sat by the lake," Eli said, "How nervous I was putting my arm around you for the first time. How I knew I was falling in love with you. Clare Edwards, each time I look at you, it's like I'm falling in love with you all over again. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

_And you took me by surprise_

_You said, "I'll never leave you alone."_

_You said, "I remember how we felt sitting by the water_

_And every time I look at you, it's like the first time_

_I fell with a careless man's careful daughter_

_She is the best thing that's ever been mine"_

Eli and Clare's lips crashed into each other. A deep, passionate kiss that they poured all their emotion into.

_Hold on and make it last_

_Hold on and never look back_

_You made a rebel of a carless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Do you believe it?_

_(Hold on)_

_Gonna make it now_

_(Hold on)_

_And I can see it_

_I can see it now_

Clare knew what she had with Eli was different. It was special. He was the best thing that had ever been hers.

**There's **_**The Best Thing That's Ever Been Mine**_**. I hope you liked it! Please Review!**


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